I've introduced Codecademy to number of students last semester and was then lucky enough to go through the software last semester as a student myself. There's a lot of criticism regarding that kind of coding lessons and even though I liked it, I can understand that many find this kind of problem-solving (look at other people's codes through Google to find your answer if you're stuck) exhausting, especially if you're a novice learner (cognitive load in the high levels there).
When it comes to introduction to coding there are a number of softwares that can teach the importance of sequence and 'if this, than that' logic. Alice probably the best known, but in the recent years many more have been published.
I'm not going to say I fell for the Hakitzu game we tried last week and maybe because it is too 'boy-ish' like we talked about in class. The sound, the animation and their movements didn't appeal to me. At the same time the Hopscotch one is a bit too 'girly' with it's fluffy colors.That said I do believe both of those programs introduce coding to kids, Hopscotch, more than Hakitzu because you have more options and you can manage the order/sequence better.
In Hopscotch you're also more of a creator with a blank slate (like in coding) as opposed to Hakitzu, where you have missions. This creative element allows you to make a game, a drawing or e.g. a dance with your many creatures. I also like the fact that through this game it shows the user all the ways your iPad can be shaken and tilted in order to get a reaction.
The company that published Hopscotch also has a similar (but much simpler) coding game called Daisy the Dinosaur where you can see the code play through as you look at the animation/game you made. That was the only element that thought Hakitzu had over Hopscotch, where you 'leave the code' when you play your game/animation.
